Variations in ecosystem functions following shrubs encroachment
Shrub encroachment strengthened ecosystem functioning of the semi-arid
alpine steppes, with the mean EMF indexes greatly increased after shrub
encroachments (Fig. 4a and Table S3). The BEMF index also significantly
increased following the encroachments of both Leguminosae and
Non-Leguminosae shrubs (Fig. 4b). However, the BEMF index had neutral
trends after shrubs encroachment (Fig. 4c and Table S3). The RII indexes
further indicated greater facilitative effects of both Leguminosae and
non-Leguminosae shrubs on the EMF and BEMF of the semi-arid alpine
steppes (Fig. 4d−e). In pooled all data together, we found that shrub
encroachment increased the belowground ecosystem functioning greater
than the aboveground ecosystem functioning, with the BEMF and AEMF
increased by 295% and 50%, respectively (Fig. 7).